Yorkie Differences????

[SnowWa]

Honest to God - I know we all love our Yorkies - but for the life of me, I also can't figure out why these little dogs are all so different. There is no other breed of dog that turns out to be so many different sizes, shapes, colors, hair textures, ear shapes, nose shapes, etc. etc. etc.

And, as we know, most of these little guys (as different as they are) are registered and considered to be purebred little Yorkies.

Sometimes, I think this little breed could almost be divided into two groups.

Mine Yorkie would fall into the larger sized - larger eared - longer nosed group. Others are smaller with smaller ears and flatter little noses. And, then there are all the other differences too!!!!!

Yes - I agree - one of the wonderful things about little Yorkies is that they are all so different...... but.....

Sometimes I wonder --- even though most of us are registered, etc. --- are there more "little silkies" (or part silkies along the way) than we are willing to admit?????

Most of us feel "who cares..." We love out little guys to death and certainly enjoy them -- but, out of curiosity, just what is going on??????

And -- on top of this, so many of us get so upset if anyone says, "Are you sure that's a Yorkie. It doesn't look like a Yorkie to me!" No wonder people say this. They are around a few Yorkies and then they meet one that looks totally different. These reactions seem perfectly natural to me. Before, I learned that Yorkies can be so different - I often wondered about some dogs myself.

If I put my dog next to one of your black/tan little 3 or 4 pounders with short little ears, and a rounder flatter little face..... both you and I would stand there and have to admit that it's hard to believe that they are the same little breed of dog!!!!!

I know everyone will come up with one explanation or another - "it's exciting," "it doesn't matter," "that's the way Yorkies are," ect. etc. etc.

But - I would really like to have a more scientific - genetic - reason for all of this. The "real truth!!!!!" To my knowledge, this issue has never been addressed from a truely scientific genetic standpoint.

But - of course - one easy explanation for what we have ended up with is that we are all continuing to breed these very different looking little dogs - registering them - and continuing to call them all purebred little Yorkies. So - they will continue to be ------oh, so very different - and not the same at all!

Carol Jean

[Julz]

You are right! This may help a little....It is believe that the Yorkshire Terrier is a mixture of the Clydesdale Terrier, the Skye Terrier (comes in fawn or cream), the Leeds Terrier, Maltese, Black and Tan Manchester, and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier (comes in Pepper or Mustard). All of these genes are in the Yorkie. They were bred at first to be a larger dog, then they started breeded the smaller ones to get the smaller outcome. However, ALL of these genes are still in the line and pop up here and there color/size wise.

[cribal]

When my mom first got her yorkie (Rocky) my whole family said he wasn't a yorkie. When he first started growing he had short legs and a long body. They thought he was a yorkie / dauchsund mix ... No matter what we told them they swore that he was a mix breed...... Full grown now you can tell he is a yorkie but he is a 9lb, floopy eared, short legged yorkie (looks ALOT like Eddie/alaskayorkies pup) Well now since getting my Lucy that is 5lbs. , long legs and up ears all my family is starting to say that's what a yorkie is supposed to look like.... They jsut don't get their jsut like us humas..... Different looks and personalities.... Just thought I would tell my little story...LOL

Crystal

[SnowWa]

Julz - I am sure that your remark is partly responsible for some of the differences.

BUT - if you read the history of most breeds - most of them have come from crossbreeding a variety of other breeds... and, eventually, with time, most other breeds have come into their own - being much more stable in appearance than the little Yorkie is.

For sure though -- as long as we continue to breed little Yorkies (with all their differences), we are going to continue to get Yorkies with all these same differences.

This, in part, is why so many breeders feel it is so important to stay with what are considered to be "Yorkie standards." Doing this would certainly more quickly give us Yorkies that more closely resembled one another. On the other hand - if we continue breeding little Yorkies that are so different - one from the other - we will continue to have Yorkies that are
very different.

Is it possible that so much "off standard breeding" is what is responsible for so much variety. And - to further increase these variations - we are all registering these different looking little dogs - as purebred Yorkies - allowing us to continue producing so many very different looking little dogs.

It's a puzzle to me. But, I do think constant "off standard breeding" is largely responsible for the many variations in this one little breed. I don't think other breeds (as far as AKC registration goes) have allowed this to happen.

I would think that you breeders (who are very selective as far as "standards" go would agree with me on this).

And, again - I want to say over and over and over again - that we love all these little guys - and they are all wonderful little pets. It is just a puzzle that they can be so different.


Carol Jean

[yorkieK9trainer]

Okay, I didn't read this entire thread, but the just of it I think I got.

Many "Yorkies" look terribly different because we have too many (and this is only the one of many valid reasons) breeders out there that are sweet and there hearts are in the right place, but they have no idea what they're breeding genetically. "You take one cute purebred Yorkie and breed it to another cute purebred Yorkie and PRESTO! You have a fabulous/cute/adorable/cuddly litter". Yeah, not how it works folks, but it's happening everyday and it's just terrible. I agree that we can't all have the perfect Yorkie- which is one that conforms to standard in it's phenotype and has a personality to boot -but that shouldn't strive us to attaining that and only the closest to it are the ones that should be bred. And NO if that philosophy is followed we will NOT wind up w/ a closed breeding program. Just fewer Yorkies out there that look more like an Austrailian Terrier or Silky than a Yorkie!
All breeds have a beginning and this one is fabulous and has gained "too much" attention in the wrong hands.

[SnowWa]

Yes - again, I think off standard breeding is what is responsible for the many varieties of Yorkshire terriers.....

At the risk of offending anyone -- mine is certainly one of these wonderful little pets that is most definitely "off standard." He's sliver/light tan, about 8 1/2 or 9 pounds, has ears that could fly an airplane, and has a longer more narrow nose than a lot of little Yorkies have. Soooooooooooo - I love him to death, he is as cute as a button, a delight to own, and he's not going to be bred.

******* Ten minutes ago, I was in the backyard with some of my neighbors and one said, "My niece has a little Yorkie, and he doesn't look like your dog at all. He's a lot smaller, and he doesn't have big ears like that, and his face is a lot rounder."

Then - she went on to say, "I really like yours better. My niece's dog is cute, but I'd be scared to death to have a dog that little." (While other people think my dog is "too big.")

So on and so forth - we all hear comments like this all the time... This is why I am always amazed when anyone is offended by any of these remarks. I just explain to people that we could have ten Yorkies lined up -- and they could, indeed, look very different.

Carol Jean

[Patti]

I've always wondered that myself. I have a Pom who while a lot biger than the standard totally looks like a pom you just don't see the variations in most other breeds that you do in Yorkies. There's a lot of other breeds that are being over breed without regard to standards and they still look very much a like. I just find it curious.

[txshopper73]

You are so right! This breed has so many different looks, colors, etc.

[shelbysmom]

I think they all look the same

cut and paste this b/c I can't get the link to work.

http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/videos/largeplayer.html?xml=wkc2006.xml&video=toy|york


While haircuts make a huge difference, the biggest problem is poor breeding. All Yorkies are incredibly cute, even poor examples of the breed. That's the problem. Someone with two cute pets can't resist the urge to breed them, then they sell those poor quality pups with full breeding rights. And the cycle continues. We end up with pups looking less and less like Yorkies.

[yorkieK9trainer]

You got it precisely!

[bigdog]

I've been searching for the same answer. I have 5 yorkies and all have different hair texture, colors lentgh and completely different personalities. Keep me posted for info about these little munchkins.

[bigdog]

Don't all akc yorkies carry the same genes? I mean somewhere down the line they all got started the same way. Did they kill the undesirable looking dogs when they where making the breed? If so I think that is horrable. I have heard of that. Who set the standard look for the yorkie? Didn't the first yorkies have curly hair?

[kaymo]

I'm afraid it'll only get worse since yorkies are listed as #3 on the 2005 AKC most popular breeds list. I completely agree with "shelby'smom" and yorkie9trainer. The breed is getting more diluted. Unfortunately puppymills have cashed in on this popularity. And some dog owners can't resist breeding their dogs cause they're just too darn cute. As an avid dog lover, I appreciate yorkies of all shapes, colors and sizes, but breeding should be done only by qualified reputable people and breed standard dogs. My yorkie, Bentley, has a great disposition, weighs 6 lbs, has a silver and light tan silk coat, he also has big ears, a grade I luxating patella, and his coat is a little too thin. To me he's the cutest dog in the world but he's not breed quality and that's okay. I've learned so much about this breed's standard after my husband brought him home to me (he was a gift and a hopeless attempt to help get me get over the unexpected loss of my beloved schnauzer). While I adore Bentley and love him like he's my child (cause he is!) the next yorkie we bring home will be closer to the breed standard.

[yorkieK9trainer]

"Don't all akc yorkies carry the same genes? I mean somewhere down the line they all got started the same way. Did they kill the undesirable looking dogs when they where making the breed? If so I think that is horrable. I have heard of that. Who set the standard look for the yorkie? Didn't the first yorkies have curly hair?"

Well, this is a multiple question post and I've got 2 minutes, so here goes!
Yes, all AKC Yorkies came inititally from a selected few dogs. Their pheno type varied greatly though as did their size. However, as generations and generations of progeny were produced the Yorkie became more and more consistent in Pheno type. Coat texture varied greatly, but the colors produced did not, not when carefully bred anyway. Otherwise you'd see creams come out;blackarti's and so on. Size really didn't vary greatly, not as much as it does today anyway. Culling of Yorkies when the breed first originated (and some even today) did exist, yes. They based their selection on coat color and size mostly before the pup turned a week of age.
...this really deserves so much more time than I have right now, but there are answers! I'll check back later if I have a chance today. Have a good one!

[lisatodd]

I Was Very Disappointed When I Got Kirby, When I Saw He Was Akc Reg I Thought He Would Be The Standard But He Has Larger Ears, He Weight Is 8lbs, And His Coat Is Short. I Have Not Had His Hair Cut Yet And He Is 9 Months. I Have Realised Thru This Yorkie Talk And Seeing Some Of The People Breeding, They Have 11 Lbs Moms And 3 Lbs Dads. To Me, That Is Not Keeping With The Standard. That Is Troblesome To Me B/c That Is Probable What Happened To Me. The Mother Was Large And The Dad Small. So I Got A 8 Lb Dog. Akc Dosent See The Lbs When You Send In The Reg....appears To Me They Are On The Breeders "word". So To Me Now, Akc Doesnt Mean Anything Only That They Are Reg.
Dont Get Me Wrong....my Kirby Is Awesome!!!!!